Once more, the
Italian authorities undertook a massive return of migrants, including
potential refugees who had landed by sea on the island of Lampedusa.
It is the third time in less than six months that Italy has openly
violated international regulations  non-refoulement, prohibition
of collective expulsion, banning from submitting anyone to inhuman
and degrading treatments. Moreover, these returns are carried
out towards Libya, a country known for regularly violating Human
Rights.

These abuses
are committed in total impunity : the European Union, which ought
to guarantee the respect of basic rights on its territory, in
particular the right to asylum, remains quiet. Questioned on
the October expulsions by European NGOs<!--[if !supportFootnotes]-->[1]<!--[endif]-->
and by the European parliament, the European Commission assessed
that the Italian Government did not violate any rule and above
all that this question is not a matter of its competence. Despite
the deep concerns formulated by UNHCR and Amnesty International
about the last removals from Lampedusa, the European Commission
is again supporting the Italian authorities.

The EU's disinterest
in the fate of expelled people is not accidental : the European
asylum and immigration policies that have been implemented in
the past five years, and the proposals for the externalization
of the border controls suggested by the Hague program of November
2004 are the main sources of inspiration for an Italian government
that is only anticipating the future. Driving back and locking
up migrants and exiled people are indeed situated at the core
of communitarian projects.

In the opinion
of our organizations, it is time that the European institutions
put into place mechanisms of control and sanction that prevent
a Member State from violating the basic Human Rights principles
to which the Union is committed.

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